The real estate sector in China is undergoing significant changes, with local government finance and land sales reforms. The introduction of value-added taxation comes amidst a transition of the main engines of economic growth away from investment and exports towards domestic consumption. Correspondingly, the Chinese real estate industry is looking towards the financial and capital markets to support these evolving and emerging trends, and the continued growth of the sector.

Professor Deng Yongheng, Director of IRES, and Head of the NUS Department of Real Estate opened the session with a welcome address.

Alongside Dr. James Geng Jing (President and the Chairman of the Board of Greenland Financial Holdings Group), the other fire-starter who sparked and fuelled the table discussions that evening was Mr Tan Ser Ping (former CEO of Ascendas Funds Management Singapore Limited). These fire-starter speeches provided insights into the extent in which real estate securitization and real estate funds/REITs can play as vital components of the financing continuum. These speeches framed the context of the debate amongst the floor where participants offered varying opinions on the role of the financial and capital markets in China’s real estate industry.